


Second Chances

by fickleminder, HiddenEye



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-11 18:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5637082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fickleminder/pseuds/fickleminder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenEye/pseuds/HiddenEye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most parents would love for their children to follow in their footsteps, but if it involves a pair of magical earrings and swinging across the rooftops of Paris, Adrien thinks he can be forgiven for overreacting when a certain kwami shows up in his daughter’s room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this prompt](http://miraculousladybugheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/136128909366/marinette-will-die-in-childbirth-and-her) (warning: spoilers!).
> 
> Collab fic with HiddenEye, who is such a pleasure to work with! Please enjoy :)

Adrien’s face was scrunched up with concentration, the tip of his tongue poking out slightly as he focused on the delicate process before him. There was a small tremble in his hands and his fingers ached with exhaustion, but still he pressed on. One wrong move – even a hair out of place – could ruin everything, and he was _not_ about to let all his hard work in the past two hours go to waste.

“Anndddd done!” he exclaimed with a relieved sigh, leaning back and smiling proudly. “What do you think?”

“It’s… okay.”

“Just ‘okay’?”

“Nah, I’m kidding.” From the reflection in the hand mirror, a pair of bright blue eyes glanced at him, accompanied by a cheeky grin. “It looks terrible!”

Adrien gasped dramatically and brandished the comb in his hand with mock indignation. “Hey, I did my best! French braids aren’t the easiest to do, you know?”

Giggling loudly, the preteen in his lap patted his knee sympathetically. “You’re the one who wanted to try. Next time, maybe you should just leave it to the professionals.”

“Excuse you, I _am_ a professional.”

“But you’re a model! You have hairstylists to – Ah, Madeleine’s here!” At the sound of the doorbell, she hopped down and rushed to greet her friend. “Thanks dad, I love it!” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before running off, haphazard braid and all.

Chuckling fondly, Adrien began to clean up the mess of hair ties and clips scattered across the couch. Despite the end results, it had been two hours well spent indeed. Today was a special day for his daughter and she wanted to look her best, so imagine his surprise when she had approached him shyly and asked if he could do her hair for her. He was only too happy to oblige of course, but he couldn’t help thinking there was someone else more qualified for the job that she should have been able to ask.

The sudden pang of nostalgia that hit him was not unexpected, and Adrien felt his gaze travel towards the collection of photos above the mantelpiece in the living room. Abandoning the small pouch of hair accessories on the cushions, he walked over to one in particular, ghosting reverent touches over the red and pink frame. A portrait of his late wife stared back at him, her eyes and smile just as radiant and kind as he remembered.

“I wish you were here Mari,” he murmured, tracing the outlines of her face wistfully. “I wish you could see our girl now. You’d be so proud of her.”

_Obstetrical hemorrhage, the doctors had said._

_“Emma,” Marinette had gasped, fighting to hold on as Adrien gently placed their newborn daughter in her trembling arms._

_A breathless laugh, tears spilling over their cheeks, final whispers of ‘I love you’ –_

_Then she was gone, and Emma started to wail._

He hadn’t seen or heard from Tikki for almost a decade now. The red kwami had left in search of a new wielder for her Miraculous while Plagg had chosen to stay with him, even though Chat Noir had effectively disappeared the night Emma was born. It didn’t feel right, transforming and roaming the streets of Paris without his Lady by his side. More importantly, raising Emma was his top priority now, and he was immensely thankful that she was able to grow up in peaceful times.

Nevertheless, the war was far from over.

Although Ladybug and Chat Noir had defeated Hawk Moth years ago, his rogue kwami was still on the loose. It would be a long while before another host was possessed and the akumas unleashed again, but Tikki had insisted on finding a new Ladybug as soon as possible to prepare for the inevitable threat. Whether she had succeeded already he did not know, and just in case he was ever needed again Adrien had also kept up his skills, fencing and stick fighting regularly.

“Happy birthday, Emma!”

The chorus of jubilant voices at the door shook him out of his thoughts, and Adrien looked up just in time to see Plagg zipping out of the kitchen and into his breast pocket.

“Don’t be such a sour puss,” the kwami said, patting his round belly as he made himself comfortable. No doubt he’d been gorging himself on all the cheese he could find – Adrien made a mental note to replenish the supply later and come up with better hiding places. “It’s not every day your kid turns twelve, so quit moping around and celebrate!”

“You’re only saying that because you just finished a whole month’s worth of camembert,” Adrien huffed, pinching his nose in disgust as the kwami gave a satisfied belch in response.

Still, Plagg had a point. There was no use dwelling on past events now, not when today was supposed to be a happy day. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Adrien squashed down the lurking remnants of heartache in his chest before making his way to the foyer to greet Nino and his family.

“– and I’ll be right there with you, okay? I’ll even hold your hand if you want!” Madeleine was saying, one arm wrapped around Emma’s shoulders in reassurance. The sixteen year old perked up when she spotted him. “Oh, hey uncle Adrien!”

“Good to see you, Madeleine.” Adrien nodded at her with a friendly smile. He exchanged fist bumps with Nino while Alya gave him a warm hug, and the three friends caught up with one another as their daughters posed for selfies.

Despite four years of age difference, Emma and Madeleine were as close as sisters. They had practically grown up together, especially since their parents would take turns dropping them off at the other’s place for playdates when they were younger. Madeleine definitely took after her mother, if her spirited personality was anything to go by. In terms of looks, she had inherited her father’s golden eyes and dark brown hair, which was styled in a pixie cut.

“Alright people, time to head out!” Alya declared, ushering the group outside. “Emma’s been waiting for this a long time, so let’s go grant her birthday wish!”

The two girls cheered excitedly and raced each other towards the car, chattering about whether to get studs or hoops once Emma finally had her ears pierced. Nino and Alya trailed after them while Adrien hung back to lock up. The blond was just about to put away his keys when Plagg suddenly shot out of his pocket with a startled squeak.

“Plagg!” Adrien hissed in shock, grabbing him out of the air before anyone could see. The black kwami’s head swiveled about as though he was searching for something, and an all too familiar feeling of dread began to pool in Adrien’s stomach. “What is it?” he asked, desperately praying that it wasn’t trouble with a capital ‘A’.

“…Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Trust me!” Plagg sent him a toothy grin, much too mischievous for Adrien’s liking. “Now hurry up and get going! They’re waiting for you!”

Adrien frowned in suspicion, but shoved Plagg back into his pocket anyway. He jogged after the rest of the group, their calls for him muffling the quiet snickers of his kwami.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's Mars here aka HiddenEye, and working with @fickleminder has been wonderful and fun, I'm so glad that we're collaborating! And so, onto the next chapter! Enjoy :)

Throughout the whole journey, Emma couldn't stop bouncing her leg, watching the city whizz by with sparkling eyes and an eager heart from where she sat between Adrien and Madeleine while Alya and Nino was up front, feeling the energy buzzing through her as her wish of getting her ears pierced was finally coming true.  
  
Until a large hand stopped her fidgeting by clasping it on her knee.  
  
When she glanced to her father, Adrien raised an eyebrow. "I know you're excited, Emma, but kicking a hole in Uncle Nino's car won't exactly help us get there any faster."  
  
She shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry," He let go of her knee. "But it's just so exciting! Madeleine and I have been discussing about it for _months_ ," She held up her hand, ticking off all the points with each finger. "First, it's either between the hoops or the studs. Second, gold, silver, or those colourful ones they have now since young people -such as myself- are getting their ears pierced early. And third, depends on the type of earrings I picked, whether they actually look _good_."  
  
"That would explain the spike in the telephone bill," Nino grumbled good naturedly as the two girls high-fived each other with a cheer, earning a chuckle from both Adrien and Alya.  
  
"You know," Alya mused as she met Emma's eyes through the review mirror. "You never did tell me why you're so excited to pierce your ears, I'm kinda curious why."  
  
Emma shrugged, settling back in her seat as she looked out of the window on Madeleine's side. "Grandma said that she and Mom used to do it when they were twelve, so I'm just keeping the tradition alive, I guess."  
  
There was a reason why she didn't want to meet the adult's faces, especially her father's, since she had caught him crying once in his bedroom with her mother's picture grasped in his hand when Emma was only eight from where she peeked through door. She left him silently after that, her own sadness growing when she haven't even met her own mother in her life, and from the stories she was told, Marinette was an amazing person.  
  
From the corner of her eye, Emma saw Adrien twisting Marinette's engagement ring on his pinky, the gold band flashing under the sun as he pursed his lips. She felt a tap on her lap and saw Madeleine gave her an encouraging smile, knowing the reason long ago when she told her best friend through the phone.  
  
"Anyway!" Emma slapped her hands on her lap, allowing herself to give them all a large grin while hoping to change the subject. "Are we there yet?"  
  
"Not quite," Came the swift answer from Alya, and Emma realised that she was relieved to not talk about that sensitive topic anymore. "Another five minutes."  
  
Suddenly, Madeleine nudged her in the arm. "What if you get those fluffy ones? Like little pom-poms stuck in your ears."  
  
Emma giggled. "When they get wet, they'll probably look like ear wax."  
  
Madeleine laughed, poking her in the arm. "Gross!"  
  
When they finally did arrived at the jewellery shop, Emma had to prevent herself from sprinting in and slam the door open.  
  
"Dude," Madeleine muttered beside her. "You're doing it again."  
  
Emma blinked at her. "What?"  
  
"The butt wiggle."  
  
Emma stopped. "Oh," Embarrassed, she clasped her hands behind her, waiting for the adults to get out of the car. "You know, I'd never thought this would actually happen to me," She spread her arms out as she closed her eyes, almost smacking Madeleine in the process. "Am I in heaven?"  
  
Snorting, Madeleine hooked their arms together as they made their way in. "You're not gonna say that once they did the hole. Fair warning though, it's gonna throb later."  
  
They pushed the door open. "How was your experience?"  
  
Madeleine shrugged. "It's like they've stapled your ear."  
  
Emma's mouth formed an 'o'. "Cool."  
  
There was a woman behind the counter of the the earrings section as the five of them walked in, and she greeted them all with a polite smile. "How can I help you?"  
  
Adrien returned her smile and rested his hand on Emma's shoulder. "My daughter would like to pierce her ears please, birthday girl's wishes."  
  
The clerk's smile grew wider. "Really now?"  
  
Emma waved away her father's hand, a streak of pink appearing across her face. " _Dad_."  
  
"We have a few varieties to choose from before we get started, I suggest the birthday girl would like to have a look?" The clerk gestured to the display with a wave of her hand, where the studs and hoops gleamed under the white light of the shop.  
  
Emma turned towards Madeleine, raising an eyebrow. "Studs?"  
  
She nodded, a grin visible. "Studs."  
  
Emma walked along the display, eyes carefully searching for the most amazing earrings she could find as the gold and silvers were arranged respectively to one side each.  
  
Something caught her eye as she was scanning through the gold ones, where she blinked once, before a grin stretched across her face as she pointed to the one at the far left corner of the display, almost hidden between two bigger and sparkling earrings that she was glad she had sharp eyesight.  
  
"That one."  
  
The clerk took a look at it and smiled. "Good choice," Unlocking the drawer, she pulled out the earrings and settled it on the glass surface, where Emma plucked it off and showed it to the rest of them.  
  
"Aren't they cute?" She asked enthusiastically as she showed Adrien the earrings, his eyes landing on a pair of small golden paw prints with diamonds on its big toes.  
  
There was a look of amusement she couldn't understand glowed in his eyes as he met her expectant stare. "Very."  
  
"Is that the one you'd like to buy?"  
  
Emma turned towards the clerk, a smile on her face. "Yes, please."

* * *

 Madeleine wasn't kidding when she said her ears were going to throb.  
  
Emma winced as she tried to prevent her hair from getting tangled around her new earrings, using a rubber band to tie those mess of blonde waves into a ponytail as she jammed her feet into the roof, effectively stopping herself from sliding down and most likely fall to her death.  
  
Sighing, she laid down and closed her eyes, letting the moon shine onto her as the chilly wind blew softly against her cheek, the faint sound of traffic could be heard a road away.  
  
It wasn't until she heard the creak of her bedroom door being opened. She could estimate the number of steps the person took to arrive to her open window before poking out his head.  
  
"Emma? What are you doing outside?"  
  
She shrugged, using her hands as a cushion with her eyes still closed. "Just enjoying the night."  
  
"On the roof?"  
  
She smiled, prying an eye open to meet her father's skeptical look. "You want to join me?"  
  
Adrien hesitated, before climbing out of the window with a grunt. She would assume he would have a hard time getting towards her while making some complaints, but imagine her surprise when Adrien walked calmly on the roof without so much of a slip. "I thought you'd be too old to climb roofs."  
  
"I'm only 35," He pointed out as he settled down beside her, wrapping an arm around her before pulling close. "I'm not even middle age yet."  
  
She hummed, wrapping her thin arms around his chest. "Did you sneak out a lot as a kid?"  
  
She swore he froze for a moment. "Why do you ask?"  
  
She shrugged again. "No one walks so smoothly on the roof on their first time without a few slips and the sudden fear of heights."  
  
Chuckling, he rubbed her back. "Or I'm just that smooth."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Dad."  
  
They stayed quiet for a while, the sound of car honks and revving engines seemed so far away at the moment as father and daughter enjoyed the peace in their own quiet bubble, their pyjamas did nothing to cover their cold feet as they huddled for warmth.  
  
"Dad?" She called out softly, afraid to break the silence that settled between them, twisting his white shirt in her hand. "Could you tell me about Mom again?"  
  
His breath tickled her hair as he exhaled. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"How you two met?"  
  
He tighten his grip on her as he shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable spot. "Well," He began, trying to sound at ease as he pushed down the ball of emotion that threatened to lodge in his throat. "We were fourteen when it was the first time I saw her, and I was curious about this girl with red ribbons in her hair. But we haven't met officially yet, so I decided to go and introduce myself to her for the sake of it, trying to get to know her better and all, right?" She giggled, nodding. "There I was trying to be suave and cool while having this brilliant pun in my head-"  
  
"I still can't believe you flirted with Mom using _puns_."  
  
"-and then I fell," He made a face, and she giggled again. "I slipped on ice, and into this huge heap of snow that buried me completely where I had a hard time trying to get out, my clothes covered with snow that I could feel it soaking through them," He shook his head slightly, a fond chuckle tumbling forth as he recalled the memory. "And your mother helped me out, and she laughed of course, asking me if I was okay and if I needed any first aid kit, and then suddenly _bam_ ," He snapped his fingers, as if a moment of realization. "She had the most bluest eyes I have ever seen and I couldn't look away without her trying to get my attention again."  
  
She laughed. "You were a dork."  
  
He joined her. "That's what your Mom said," He paused, as if contemplating something. "There's another version to this story, you know."  
  
She hadn't heard of that before. Curious, she glanced at him. "Really?"  
  
He nodded. "We were fifteen," His voice turned soft as he continued. "When I finally got myself enrolled into a public school after years of home schooling, and then I was happy when I had some real friends who wanted to get to know me genuinely, since you have to be dodgy in the fashion industry when making friends."  
  
"There's this girl who sat behind me and for some weird reason, she couldn't look at me in the eye. She wore her hair into adorable pigtails, had a thing for designing and makes the most amazing macaroons one could ask for in the whole of Paris."  
  
"I found out in the end that she had this crush on me, and I started to love her too along the way, all of her stutters and blushing faces," A small smile appeared. "She had a hard time talking to me for the first few months for that reason, and being the blind one I was, I didn't notice," He chuckled. "At first, I thought she hated me."  
  
Emma merely listened to Adrien's story, not wanting to interrupt as she stayed still. And once he was finished, she glanced up. "So, which is the real thing?"  
  
"Both of them."  
  
She frowned. "But how can you meet the same person but have different reactions when you already know that person?"  
  
He ruffled her hair, causing a protest to be heard from her. "Oh, there are ways."  
  
"That's not exactly helping."  
  
As the two rambled on, they failed to notice a red kwami getting herself in Adrien's room at the opposite side of Emma's, where Plagg had greeted her with a rueful grin as she flew through the open window.

* * *

 "Where are they?" Tikki asked as she settled herself on the dresser, where Plagg had made himself comfortable beside her with a cube of cheese in his paws.  
  
"Adrien's bringing up old memories on the roof," He replied, nibbling on the piece of food. "He's telling Emma about Marinette again."  
  
"It's been years," She whispered. "And I still miss her," She paused. "I found someone that could take Marinette's place."  
  
Plagg's ears pricked. "Who?"  
  
She took a deep breath, the weariness tugging her shoulders down as they slumped under invisible weight. "All I know is that Adrien's not going to like it."  
  
He stiffen, before looking at her enquiringly. "Are you sure she's the right one?"  
  
"I felt it, Plagg, I felt the pull towards her like I did to Marinette, and like her, it was a strong pull," Sighing, she rubbed her face with her hands. "Honestly? I found out a week ago, but I kept looking for someone else to be Ladybug, because I don't want Adrien to suffer more than he already is," She sighed again. "He lost his wife, what are the chances that he's going to loose his only daughter too?"  
  
"High, but that's what it's been, Tikki, we've known this would happen for a long time, why the doubt now?"  
  
"Not doubt, just," She paused. "Pity."  
  
He snorted, finishing off the last bit of his cheese with a gulp. "Well, you know that once you found your next person, you can't exactly find another to wear the Miraculous, it won't respond as willingly as it would to the chosen."  
  
"I _know_ , but Adrien-"  
  
"Has to deal with it," He cut her off, wiping his hands together. "Hawkmoth is going to rise again soon and we have to hurry."  
  
In the end, she nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll tell her as soon as possible," Then, her expression soften. "Is Chat Noir up for it?"  
  
Plagg winced. "He hasn't transform for years, I'm not sure if he still _wants_ to."  
  
"Memories kept stopping him," Tikki murmured. "If he can't handle being Chat Noir anymore, you have to find someone else."  
  
"I know," He grumbled. "It'll take a while to find a new wielder, and if I don't have enough time, I _will_ drag him into battle with me."  
  
She poked his arm. "Don't be so harsh on him, he's still suffering."  
  
"And Paris needs Chat Noir as much as they need Ladybug," He countered back, giving her a pointed look. "Chat Noir has always been the armor to Ladybug's power, without either one of them, they'll be defenceless, and could easily be beaten," He looked away, and Tikki noticed there was a small worried frown marring his features.  
  
"And I can't let that happen again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FM here again! Sorry for the wait, I write pretty slowly and HiddenEye is a saint for putting up with me :P

Okay, Ladybug and Chat Noir used to sit behind each other in class, five days a week for at least six hours each over a total of three years, _without_ realizing who the other was. Living in the same house 24/7 shouldn’t be that much different, right?

Tikki groaned to herself as she sneaked into Emma’s room, making sure to stay out of sight. As much as she was the embodiment of good luck itself, even _she_ knew this was a gamble. Persuading Emma to keep being Ladybug a secret from her father was one thing, but Adrien had two decades’ worth of experience under his belt. Even if Plagg had agreed to run interference when necessary (going behind Adrien’s back had been _his_ idea after all), surely Adrien would recognize the signs he himself had exhibited all those years ago: the constant exhaustion, scars and bruises appearing out of nowhere, missed classes and falling grades, strange coincidences… Not to mention that if he were ever to see the new Ladybug in public, no doubt he would know his own daughter in a heartbeat.

Then again, Tom and Sabine had never found out about Marinette’s alter ego after all this time, so maybe there was a good chance they could still pull this off.

With Plagg keeping Adrien busy downstairs, Tikki crossed her metaphorical fingers and made her way towards her newest wielder. If she played her cards right, Emma would be eased into the process with minimal panic. Goodness knows how loud Marinette had screamed when the kwami had first approached her, and since they needed to be discreet, Tikki was determined not to repeat the same mistakes.

…

…

What was that delicious smell?

 

* * *

 

Emma was curled up on her bed beneath the blankets, a thick book in her lap and a plate of warm cookies on the bedside table. Madeleine had given her a novel as a birthday gift and she had been _hooked_ after the first chapter. Her eyes were glued to the pages, drinking in every last word as her imagination gave life to them in her mind. One hand blindly reached out to the side for a snack, closing around something soft and round with a loud squeak.

She froze. Last time she checked, chocolate chip cookies definitely did _not_ squeak, and they definitely were _not_ shaped like balls.

Her eyes moved first, slowly edging towards her right hand until her head was forced to turn as well. Something was dangling from her hold, something red and squirming with tiny little arms and feet and three tails –

“Oh my god!” Emma shrieked, kicking her blanket in fright and quickly releasing whatever she was grabbing like hot coal. The red thing narrowly missed getting smacked by her flying book, and she scooted backwards until her shoulders hit the wall, flattening herself against the hard surface.

“Ow…” It moaned, hovering unsteadily in the air. One of its antennas had been bent backwards, and Emma cringed on behalf of… whatever it was. A fairy, perhaps? It noticed her after a few seconds and put its arms up in a calming gesture. “Oh dear, that was more extreme of a reaction than I had hoped. Please don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you!”

Emma’s jaw dropped, but no words came out. _That thing could talk?_

“My name’s Tikki,” the fairy continued, smiling warmly at her. “I’m a kwami. I’m here to tell you that you’ve been chosen to become the new Ladybug.”

 _Ladybug_ , Emma mouthed to herself, her eyes growing wide in awe. She’d heard the stories before; aunt Alya was always very enthusiastic about telling her and Madeleine about Ladybug and Chat Noir. In fact, she was the creator of the famous Ladyblog, and she had once spent an entire weekend regaling them with tales and videos of the two.

Although the Ladyblog was no longer active, it was still there and served as homage to Paris’s protectors. They had abruptly vanished over ten years ago and no one had seen or heard from them since, but they were far from forgotten by the grateful citizens they had saved countless times in the past. Parents told their children stories about them, and they had practically become legends in Parisian history.

“Are you alright, Emma?” Tikki asked worriedly as she settled herself at the edge of the bed, a safe distance away from the stunned blonde. “If you have any questions, you can ask me. Whatever you do, just don’t freak out.”

“Y-you’re saying –” Emma stammered, the implications of Tikki’s words finally sinking in. “I’m going to be a – a superhero?”

The kwami nodded happily.

An image of some magical girl anime her father had introduced her to flashed in her mind, and Emma did what any normal, sane preteen would do.

In hindsight, Tikki should have known the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

 

* * *

 

Adrien literally dropped everything and vaulted over the couch in his mad dash upstairs, blasting past Plagg and sending him flying. The kwami didn’t bother stopping him and seemed to have resigned himself to being knocked aside the moment Emma started screaming, knowing there was no coming between a cat and his kitten.

 _Welp there goes step one_ , he thought sourly, shaking his head before trailing after his frantic wielder in a daze. _Kid blew the plan out of the water before it even started._

“EMMA!” Adrien burst into her room, slamming the door open. His instincts were screaming _protect protect PROTECT_ , a familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he scanned the area for threats, black butterflies in particular.

What he found was even worse.

Tikki was looking anywhere but at him, and the sight of her was enough to drown out Emma’s excitement as she bounded over to him, squealing “Dad guess what I’m going to be _Ladybug!”_

Green eyes narrowed at the kwami. “You promised,” Adrien hissed angrily, his hands clenching into fists. There was only one reason Tikki would return, and his daughter’s words only confirmed his fears.

“You know Tikki?” Emma gasped in shock, rounding on her father. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m sorry Adrien, I had no choice. She’s the one.”

“You can’t have her! Choose someone else!”

“What? Dad, come on!”

“It doesn’t work that way and you know it.”

“I don’t care! You promised to stay away from my family!”

“Dad, I can do this! Just let me –”

“Adrien please, what would Mari–”

_“ENOUGH!”_

Emma flinched and took a step back, never having seen her father so furious before. This was the first time he’d ever raised his voice at her, and tears began to prick at her eyes even as Tikki patted her cheek comfortingly.

Adrien’s face softened slightly in regret, but his stance remained firm. “Emma is _NOT_ going to be Ladybug. End of discussion.”

Without waiting to hear their protests, he spun on his heel and left.

 

* * *

 

Plagg poked his head into Adrien’s room, spotting his charge sitting in a corner hugging his knees, a red and pink photo frame gripped tightly in one trembling hand. Ears drooping in sympathy, he flew over and landed on Adrien’s shoulder.

_I don’t have enough camembert in me for this…_

“That went well,” he said, for lack of anything better.

No response.

The kwami sighed. “Look, we don’t like it either, but our senses never lie. There’s no one else more suited to be Ladybug than Emma.”

“But why?” Adrien whispered brokenly, his voice cracking as he choked down a sob. “Of all people… Why did it have to be her?”

Never let it be said that the Dupain-Cheng genes weren’t strong. Emma may have inherited his blond hair, but her eyes and face were all from Marinette. Under the right light, at the right angle, Emma was a splitting image of his beloved Lady. Knowing that she was going to face danger, that there was a very real possibility he had to watch her get hurt or _worse_ , it was all too much to bear.

He’d already lost Marinette, he couldn’t lose Emma too.

“You know, there _is_ something you can do.”

Adrien’s head snapped up so quickly he nearly gave himself whiplash. “What is it? Tell me!” he begged.

“You can’t stop Emma from being Ladybug. Hawk Moth will rise again, and she’s our best chance of beating him.”

“But –”

“You _can_ , however, train her. Teach her all you know. Tikki will do her best to prepare her of course, but you can help make her learning process easier. Don’t forget, Ladybug and Chat Noir are a team. You’re not just her father anymore Adrien, you’re her _partner_.”

Adrien fell silent, his gaze dropping back down to Marinette’s smiling face in the photo. He remembered all the times they’d fought together, side by side. They were equals, two halves of a whole, and as many times as Chat Noir had risked his life for Ladybug she’d also done the same for him.

Emma was all he had left, and if she was going to be battling akumas alongside him, he needed to accept that there was only so much he could do to protect her. He had to trust her to have his back as he did hers, but could he learn to live with himself if she ever got hurt because of him?

“Think about it,” Plagg finished, stroking his hair in a rare display of compassion.

 

* * *

 

“He hates me, I’m sure of it,” Emma whimpered, burying her face in her pillow. Her book and cookies lay forgotten as Tikki tried to console her.

“That’s not true Emma, your father loves you more than anything,” the kwami argued. “You’ve seen Alya’s videos, right? Then you know how dangerous being Ladybug can be. Adrien’s just worried about what could happen to you.”

“I know that, but he can’t just decide I’m not cut out for it! Why can’t he at least give me a chance to try?” Before Tikki could answer, she added “how did you meet my dad anyway? Did he know who the previous Ladybug was? What happened to her?”

A hesitant pause.

“Tikki, please.”

“…Your father fell in love with Ladybug.”

“So did half of Paris.”

“True, but he’s the one who ended up marrying her.”

Emma’s head shot up like a rocket. “No way,” she whispered in disbelief. “Mom was – Ladybug was my _mother?_ ”

Tikki nodded with a sad smile. “Adrien was the only one who knew the truth. Being Ladybug is a dangerous job, and she kept her identity a closely guarded secret to protect her loved ones.”

“But – what about aunt Alya? She was her best friend!”

“And you won’t believe the kind of stunts Marinette had to pull to throw her off her tail,” Tikki chuckled fondly at the memories. “No, and your grandparents didn’t know either. I was hoping your father wouldn’t find out as well, but what’s done is done.”

Emma laughed sheepishly. “So that’s why there were two versions of the story,” she murmured to herself. “Dad met Mom with and without her mask.”

 _That’s why he got so mad_ , she realized with a start. _Dad knew firsthand what kind of monsters Mom had to face, and I had been so eager to jump headfirst into the whole thing without a second thought…_

_I really scared him, didn’t I?_

“Listen carefully, Emma.” Tikki’s tone turned serious. “You can’t tell anyone else about this, do you understand? Not even Madeleine.”

The blonde automatically wanted to protest – she and Madeleine had pinky promised not to keep secrets from each other – but it was a moot point. All the superhero movies she’d watched shared the same logic after all: the fewer who knew the safer it was.

A thought suddenly came to mind. “What about Chat Noir? Where is he now?”

“That,” Tikki replied cryptically, “is not my story to tell.”

“Aw, come on!”

“Don’t worry! You’ll meet him soon enough!” _If Plagg manages to get through to him,_ the kwami mentally added.

 

* * *

 

The air over the next two weeks was tense, to put it lightly.

Adrien was still brooding, but at least he hadn’t kicked Tikki out of the house. Emma mostly kept to herself as well, taking the time to understand the gravity of the situation. She was still determined to take up Ladybug’s mantle, but seeing her normally cheerful father so subdued made her consider the role a little more seriously.

Tikki had transformed her several times already, helping her to get used to her new abilities in costume. All of their practice sessions were held under the cover of night; mastering her weapon was still a work in progress, and she had yet to venture beyond the rooftop of their house. How her mother made it look so easy she did not know, and Emma hoped that one day she would be able to swing freely across Paris like the previous Ladybug once did.

For the moment though, Emma felt the wind rushing past her face as she fell, having misjudged the distance from one corner of their roof to another. She threw her yoyo towards the gutter in hopes of snagging something and pulling herself up, but her aim was off and she could only watch as it bounced away, bracing herself for impact and _oh god this is going to hurt –_

“Gotcha!”

– only to land solidly in her father’s arms, which were waiting for her on the ground. Her legs felt like jelly as he set her down, and even as she assured him she wasn’t hurt, she could already anticipate the scolding that was to come.

But her father only sighed. “If you’re going to be jumping around on rooftops, at least start out with the flat ones and not the slopes.”

Emma blinked in surprise. “You’re not mad?” she asked meekly. “How did you –”

“I live here too, you know,” Adrien remarked, arching an eyebrow. “I’ve heard you on our roof for a week now.”

“Oh, sorry.” The preteen bowed her head, unsure of what else to say.

“Hey.” Adrien smiled softly at her when she looked up, and opened his arms. “Come here.”

Face crumpling, Emma practically launched herself at her father, hugging him as though her life depended on it. They’d barely had any contact during the stressful days after their fight, and she had missed him terribly. Adrien stroked her back, resting his cheek on top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you the other night. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

“I know. I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking about what I was getting into. I was just so excited about being a superhero that I forgot all about the repercussions.”

Adrien chuckled and pulled away, cupping his daughter’s face lovingly. “You look so much like your mother. If only she were here, she’d be so proud of you.”

“Thanks dad.” Emma grinned tearfully at him before perking up. “You wanna see my transformation? It’s pretty cool!”

“Not as cool as mine.” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes she’d never seen before, and it took a moment for his words to register.

“What do you –” Emma’s voice died in her throat as a black, catlike kwami emerged from her father’s pocket. She immediately recognized him from Tikki’s description, and her jaw dropped in shock. _Dad is Chat Noir OH MY GOD my parents are superheroes! Holy –_

“Careful kid, you might catch flies.”

“Plagg, be nice.”

The kwami snickered cheekily, nudging Adrien on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s show her how it’s done.”

“You’ve missed this, haven’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Emma was stunned speechless, but Adrien could see the sparkles in her eyes as he winked playfully at her.

“Plagg, claws out!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE: And now, LB and CN are back in town! Enjoy :)

After a certain extend of her father's transformation, Emma wanted to scream.

Okay, sure, that wasn't even going to be remotely appropriate for her to do it in the middle of the night and would attract more attention than she would welcome. But _come on_ , who would have thought they'd find out that their parents were secretly the most respected superheroes in their city and fought bad guys while jumping on roofs in spandex?

And that they got married.

And had a child who happened to be herself.

And now, she was going to be Ladybug.

She had the very right to scream again as she did in her room last week.

Staring, Emma watched the last of his transformation with pure awe, where Chat Noir stood in her father's place as he blinked to get used to the mask again. She realised that, like all the videos she watched with Madeleine on the Ladyblog about the powerful duo, he had feline-like eyes instead of his normal green ones, his tail curled lazily behind him as he stretched his arms above his head, a grunt escaping his lips.

"It's been a while," Her father - _Chat Noir_ \- hummed as he flexed his fingers, a grin stretching slowly across his face that she was hit by the sudden realization yet again that she had never seen that level of playfulness that seemed to be radiating off him. "This feels _paw_ -sitively wonderful."

As if on instinct, she made a face. "Dad, no."

He grinned wider, his eyes shone with mischievousness that made him look absolutely younger, as if the suit reversed back time to when he was still a teenager. "It wasn't that much of a catastrophe."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I can see why Mom called you a dork."

Like a switch, his grin fell slightly, the light in his eyes dimmed as he looked down, where he busied himself by reaching for the baton behind his back, and she felt a pang of guilt when she saw he somewhat aggressively pressed a button onto it.

"Dad, I-"

"You look just like her, you know," He shot her a tight smile. "The same eye roll, the same snarky comeback that sometimes caught me off guard, and now that you're wearing that suit," He shook his head slightly to get rid some of the long time melancholy that managed to settle in his bones, the small sad smile lingering on his lips. "Like I said, it caught me off guard. Now," He straightened up and showed her the baton, where there was a small screen with a map on it glaring up to her, a small ladybug blinking in the middle of it. "This is where you are, so that if anything happens, I could come to you as quickly as I could. You could even call me if you needed help."

She nodded, deciding to drop the subject of her mother. "Okay. So, uh, I guess my yo-yo has that too?"

He nodded to the compact at her hand, a smirk graced his face. "Why don't you find out?"

Following as he said, she slid the compact open, and true enough, there was a screen on it with a paw print that indicated where he was.

"Good, now that's settled," He kept the baton in its place, flashing her a charming smile. "Ready for a spin?"

The corner of her lips twitched until it grew into a full blown grin, where she slid the compact closed.

"Race you."

His eyes widen for a moment. "Wait, Emma-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence when she sprinted across the yard, the sound of her yo-yo zipped through the night as she swung onto a building, the wind caressing her skin. For once, her hair didn't get in the way as it would when she didn't transform, where instead of the usual untamed waves that cascaded down her back, it was tied neatly into a bun with a red ribbon. Which was good, so then she didn't have to blow her hair away everytime it got into her nose. She really hoped that when the tabloids speak of her later, it wasn't because 'Death By Lock of Hair In the Nose'.

She landed on the flat roof with an _oomph_ , crouching to get her balance right.

She skipped up to stand, the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she turned around to meet her father with the grin still stretched across her face. He landed on the edge of the building without so much of a sound, and she figured he mastered invisibility throughout the years that he was already good at it. But there was a look of disapproval etched on his face that she realised her mistake yet again.

 _Doesn't luck usually come automatically with the whole shebang?_ She winced sheepishly.

"You can't just run off like that," He huffed, making his way towards her. "At least, not until I know you could swing from one building to another on your own without plummeting to your death."

She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Sorry about that, got a little excited there, flying and all."

She was startled when he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him. "I know how it feels, but we need to go through things a little slowly, for safety reasons and all."

She nodded. "Alright," To be cheeky, she raised her hand. "Ladybug's honour."

He laughed. "Come on, Ladybug," He smirked, and she felt the excitement bursted inside her with full power, the name making such an impact on her heart that for a brief moment she thought she was dreaming things.

But no, everything was very much real, and Chat Noir was her father as she watched him transformed in front of her a few minutes ago, and here she was wearing a pair of earrings that were called the miraculous, with Tikki lending her power so that she could fight akumas in the future.

 _This is_ so _cool_.

"We have a city to protect."

* * *

There was something ringing somewhere beside her head.

Groaning, she blindly reached out and searched for the source, hand slamming tiredly around the dresser as she looked for her alarm clock, and when she did find it, she pressed a button for it to shut off.

It didn't.

 _What the-?_ Again, she pressed the button, but it didn't even so much ceased the sound that it pounded against her eardrums. Her finger started to press on the button with more frequency and force as she willed for it to stop.

"Just shut up already," She moaned, sitting in bed she made a grab for it, but paused when she saw that it was her cell phone ringing.

Snorting, she picked it up and answered, not bothering to check out the contact. "Hello?"

" _EM!_ "

Emma had to back away from the phone in order to prevent her ears from bleeding at the loud screech of her best friend, her muscles protesting at the movement that she swallowed a groan of pain.

She had to get used to that _fast_.

"Maddy?" She croaked, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand. "Why are you calling me on this ungodly hour?"

For a moment, the excitement faltered at the other end of the line as Madeleine let out a snort of her own. "Em, it's nine in the morning, the sun is out, the birds are singing, and God is blessing you with this clean morning air you deserve."

"A perfect time to sleep in." Emma yawned.

"No!" Madeleine shouted, causing Emma to flinch as she made a hasty grab on her phone to prevent it from falling on the bed. "There's something you need to know and it's currently driving my mom _crazy_ at the moment."

There weren't a lot of things that could drive Aunt Alya crazy, so Emma didn't deny the curiosity that managed to grow across her sleepy haze. "What is it?"

Emma could tell that Madeleine was trying to prevent herself from screeching again, and it sounded as if she moved to a quiet place so that she could keep her voice down. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are running around Paris again," Came the excited whisper, and as if a mug of hot coffee was poured down her shirt, Emma was alert at once. "I saw them jumping on the roofs and swinging around, and managed to take a video of it. It's not that clear and I kept moving around to catch up on them, but it's no mistake that it's _them_."

She scrambled out of bed, causing Tikki to jolt awake from where she laid on the pillow as Emma jumped onto her desk chair, sliding towards her computer as she started switching it on. "Is it on the Ladyblog?"

"Yeah, I posted it the moment I got back and when I checked it out this morning, it's already up to more than a million views! It's crazy!"

Sure enough, when Emma went through the blog, there was the video at the top of the feed, and she eagerly clicked it to watch what was captured with a pounding heart.

It took a moment for the video to be in focus as Madeleine kept hissing curses under her breath from where she kept ran after them, but sure enough, Ladybug and Chat Noir was in perfect view as they stopped on top of the Notre Dame. She remembered that they were catching their breath after bounding across Paris, she remembered how Chat Noir offered her his fist, and when she looked at it curiously, he let out a small smile.

"Pound it."

The memory of that night was livid as she tapped his fist with hers, and then, he was sprouting more jokes than she could keep up.

Huh, who knew her hair could be so neat?

"This Ladybug is a bit different though."

Snapped out of her thoughts, Emma forgot that she was still on the line. "How different?"

"Her hair," Came the reply as she heard the insistent clicking at the background. "She's a blonde with a bun instead of having two pigtails with black hair, and she looks younger than Chat Noir? I don't know, it's too dark to see it."

Tikki has made herself comfortable on the desk, helping herself to a plate of cookies that Emma kept extra for now on. She saw the way Tikki was staring at a picture of the former Ladybug with longing, and feeling as if she was intruding on the moment, Emma looked away.

"Do you think they're related?"

On the second time that morning, she almost dropped her phone.

" _What?_ " She laughed nervously, catching Tikki's eye that the kwami knew what was being asked. "What gave you that crazy idea?"

"Well, they're both blond, and she could be his daughter, or niece, or someone to that affect."

Too close to home, _too close to home._

Emma forced herself a scoff, going through the comments of the video. "There's a lot of blond girls running around in Paris, Maddy, the chances of this new Ladybug being related to Chat Noir is very slim."

"But it could be, you never know," There was an appreciative hum. "And who would have thought that the cat would still look like that after all these years?"

Emma cringed at the way how Madeleine was obviously checking out Chat Noir, _her dad_ thank you very much, and she felt a shiver ran through her spine.

Tikki let out a tinkle of quiet laughter.

Shooting her a withering glare, Emma cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, he's looking," Fit? No. It'll inflate his ego. " _Healthy_ after his sudden disappearance."

"Hmm, absolutely."

_Oh god, if Dad hears this he won't let me off the hook._

"So! Seeing that the heroes are back in Paris again," Emma leaned back on her chair, tapping her fingers on the desk. "What do you think of it?"

"They're going to be attracting more people that's for sure, and the mayor would most likely hold up a welcome back party for them. At least for Chat Noir, since he's still the same person," There was a pause. "I think."

That was true, the mayor would make an extravagant party for all of Paris to celebrate the welcoming of the superhero duo, she wouldn't be surprised if he decided to make another statue of them like he did back then, where it was still standing tall at the Place des Vosges.

Emma took a breath. "You're right."

"Of course I am, have I ever been wrong?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, there was one time that you said-"

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you from all the noises you're making that doesn't make any sense at all!" They laughed. "Okay, I gotta go, got some things to do, errands to run. I'll see you later?"

Nodding, Emma clicked through other photos of last night. "Yep."

"Cool, and don't forget to switch on the news!"

And when the line went dead, Emma stopped clicking, staring at the phone before to Tikki incredulously. "It's already on news?"

The kwami gulped down the last of the cookie. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are basically celebrities, after saving the people from an akuma everytime it made an appearance," She gave a smile. "You should know that."

"Yeah, but, _that was fast_."

Giggling, Tikki flew up and sat on Emma's shoulder, giving her an affectionate pat on the cheek. "Don't worry, you'll be good at slipping from crowds in no time."

Nodding, Emma stroked Tikki's head with a finger, a smile on her face. "I hope so."

* * *

Adrien stared at the TV, where the news was blaring about the reappearance of their favorite heroes being spotted flying around Paris yet again, and he felt a sinking dread in his stomach.

Slowly, he sat down on the couch, his mug of coffee forgotten in his hand as he let his eyes wonder around the picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir, a pang of pain surging in his chest when he saw the familiar poses they donned in the picture.

He didn't realised it that night, but looking at it now, where Ladybug was standing on the edge of Notre Dame as she looked down to the city, while Chat Noir crouched beside her with his tail hanging behind him, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia at how similar their poses were when Marinette was alive. And from the city lights that glowed below them, he could see how she was still _there_ with him as their daughter took her place, her determination visible in her stance.

He took a sip of his drink, and Plagg popped in the living room with some Camembert in his hands. "I don't think I can do this, Plagg."

The kwami almost choked on his cheese, hacking out a piece. " _What?_ "

Adrien sat the mug on the coffee table in front of him, his fingers shaking the slightest bit as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't do this," He repeated softly. "I just see Mari everywhere Emma goes in that suit, if I get distracted when we'll fight, it won't help the both of us."

Sighing, Plagg sat on the arm rest. "It's too early for this," He muttered. "Look, kid, I know this is hard for you, but Emma needs you more than anything now, she needs your strength, she needs your guidance, she needs her _father_ ," He took a large piece of the cheese. "Plus, I'm not going to let you run away just yet."

Adrien twisted the white ring. "But what if I fail?"

"Now, there's a thought," Plagg scoffed. "Have some faith in yourself, you've been doing great ever since I found that kelp you called a head years ago."

"Thanks." Adrien said dryly.

"No problem."

Pursing his lips, Adrien sighed. "What am I going to do, Plagg?"

"Mentor her, teach her hand to hand combat, save the city," Plagg took another gulp of Camembert. "The usual stuff."

"And if it's not enough?" Adrien whispered. "What if I couldn't protect her properly? What will I do with myself if I lose her too?"

For once, Plagg didn't have a remark to his questions, and that made Adrien even more restless than usual as the drone of the news filled in the space between them, the cheery voice of the reporter was a great contrast to what he was feeling.

"Like I told Tikki," Came a sigh, and when Adrien glanced at him, he saw the time of the world flashing in the eyes of the kwami, making him look older and tired that he was once again reminded at how Plagg was much older than he would ever appear, where he had gone through times where Adrien would never thought of dreaming. "The consequences are high, and there's some things we just have to accept."

Adrien didn't like that it had to be that way, where he was useless to stop something he knew that would come later on.

But like Plagg said.

There's just some things we just have to accept.

* * *

Emma was starting to love being a Ladybug.

Her flexibility had increased drastically whenever she wore the suit, where moves she couldn't do beforehand would be as easy as walking, running wasn't so much of a problem as her stamina increased.

But as for her _aiming_ , however...

"Ow!"

She had to practice a little more.

Rubbing her head, she glared at the yo-yo on the ground, where the string was pooled after being stretched to a very long length, where she had been throwing it into the sky for it to latch onto the roof of her house to test how long it could get.

As far as she could tell when she missed her desired object, it was very long and could be considered as limitless.

And she was glad that it was dark for anyone that lived near their house to see a very long yo-yo being thrown into the air and hitting her on the head.

She was coiling back the string when she heard a thud on the roof, and quickly look up to find Chat Noir looking down at her in amusement. "What are you doing?"

She caught the compact in her hand. "Practising my aim."

There was a smirk on his lips. "The young Ladybug, trying to practice her aiming?" He shook his head as he clicked his tongue. "Pur-posterous."

She rested her hands on her hips. "I don't have years of experience like you do, D- _Chat Noir_ ," The corner of his lips turned up more and she scowled. "You're making fun of me."

He shrugged, and started to climb down from the roof. "I'm not."

Snorting, she dropped her arms to her sides as he came nearer to the ground. "Okay, sure, whatever you say," Then, an idea came to mind. "You can teach me, right?"

He nodded, landing on the ground with grace as his namesake. "A few things, and the most important thing at the moment is hand to hand combat. Now," He stood around seven feet away from her, the smile still there. "Attack me."

Startled, she took a step back. "What?"

"Attack me."

When he realized she stayed where she was, he soften his smile. "I won't hurt you."

"I'm more worried of the fact that I could accidentally punch you too hard and you'd be wheezing for breath," She confessed, wincing slightly. "Because, as far as I could tell, I could lift a car that's ten times heavier than me."

He blinked, before nodding slightly. "I forgot that Ladybug had super strength," He grimaced as he pressed a hand to his stomach lightly, as if recalling a memory. "We'll just go easy at each other first, and if you think you need me to go harder, then I will."

She nodded as she went into a fighting stance, where her body moved on their own record as her mind was set on fighting. "Ready when you are, Chat."

He seemed surprised at the sudden change of attitude, before the grin was back, and he too slipped into a stance. "After you, Ladybug."

With that, she charged, hand raised up into a fist.

He easily manoeuvred from her punch, sticking out a foot in her way that she toppled on the spot with a fatal cry, but managed to catch herself as she somersaulted forward, crouching on the ground as she looked at him.

He was impressed. "Not bad. Now," He crooked his fingers towards her, as if taunting her to attack him again. "Round two."

As time passed, so did the way they fought. She realized that he was holding back until at a certain moment of time, where she managed to get herself onto his shoulders and put him in a headlock after tricking a move. After that, he was more cautious on where she was going to strike next, her chest heaving as she could hear the way he was starting to breathe heavily as well, their eyes focused on the other as they circled around the clearing.

This time, he was the one who came forward first.

He never used his baton on her, and she was glad to say the least, when his weapon wasn't as harmless as it looked like, since she had seen the Ladyblog videos of him using it for various complicated occasions that looked a bit scary than usual.

She jumped over him, before quickly twisting her body so that she could slam her foot onto his back, and he rolled on the ground before turning towards her, one hand gripping the earth as his tail lashed once behind him.

"Come on, old man," She smirked, crossing her arms. "Is that the best you could do?"

So, maybe, it was not the best move to taunt a hero who had years of experience in fighting and could probably take her down if he really wanted to.

But hey, he was her _dad_ , she could taunt him all she wanted.

He snorted. "I was afraid I would hurt the young padawan."

"As if."

Without a word, he shot forward again, this time his arms were open to make a grab of her around the waist, and she had a split second to widen her eyes before she ducked down, where she saw Chat sailed over her from her position on her back. Taking the advantage when she saw it, she tucked her legs towards herself before kicking into his chest, where she threw him off to the other side of the clearing that he hit the ground yet again with a loud thud.

She sprang to her feet, horrified at what she had done and was about to run to him when he raised his head, chuckling under his breath as he met her eyes with a glint in those green orbs. "Job well done, My Lady."

Then, he stiffen, and she took that as a queue to quickly make her way towards him to help him up, but he was already standing to his feet with his head bowed, suddenly refusing to meet her eyes that she was confused to the sudden disappearance of his playful demeanor.

"Chat?" She called out softly while he dusted away his suit. "Are you okay?"

He shot her a smile, but it didn't reached his eyes and she was convinced that he triggered a memory he rather not face again. "I'm fine, Ladybug, don't worry about me," He took a deep breath, and she noticed that it was shaking with emotion. "We'll continue this some other day, but right now, it's time to rest," He nodded towards her. "Good night."

She watched him climbed up on the roof using his baton, where it extended to his required length before he hopped onto the bricked tiles, and then disappearing to the other side of the house.

The moment Chat Noir went inside his room, he let go of his transformation, and crumpled on the floor in emotional exhaustion where he faintly noticed Plagg floating beside him.

Names, Adrien noted bitterly, had more power than he thought as the scene kept repeating in his head over and over again, that he would have forgotten about Plagg if not for the fact that he sat on his shoulder.

"I can't do this," Adrien repeated what he said to the kwami earlier that day. "I can't do this, Plagg, you have to find someone else to take my place, I can't be Chat Noir anymore," He let out a bark of laughter as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm a coward."

Plagg offered his empathy by patting his charge's cheek, where a tear was making its way down to his chin. "Are you sure?"

Adrien wiped his eye.

"I'm sure."

Sighing, Plagg flew in front of his face, his ears and tail drooping.

"Hand me the ring, then."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, FM here! Sorry to those who were looking forward to more papa cat and baby bug interactions; HiddenEye and I needed to move the plot along so please accept this update where we introduce the new Chat Noir :)

_“No need to suit up; we’re focusing on technique, not strength. Now, show me your best defensive stance.”_

Adrien continued to train Emma over the next few months, teaching her how to fight properly and defend herself. Her Miraculous would amplify her physical abilities and supply the force behind every punch, the power behind every kick; all she needed to do was learn how to throw a good one.

Although he hadn’t transformed since the night they sparred, he was still able to keep up with his daughter during light bouts. Adrien had a bo staff lying around the house, and while it couldn’t change lengths like his baton did, it was more than enough to help him hold his own against Ladybug’s yoyo.

_“Don’t just throw it around hoping it’ll hit something. Your weapon isn’t just an object, it’s an extension of your own body.”_

They went through a multitude of strategies, discussing what ifs and backup tactics. Not every scenario could be predicted or prepared for, but Emma still found herself diligently poring over past battles on the Ladyblog and bugging (ha!) her father for stories during his active career as Chat Noir. She even thought about coming up with code words and hand signals for communication, but Adrien gently turned down the idea, saying it was unnecessary.

“After all, you and Chat Noir will be so in sync that you can tell what the other is thinking just by looking at them,” he explained, not meeting her eyes.

Some part of Emma noticed that he referred to Chat Noir and not himself, and the niggling feeling at the back of her mind only grew stronger. She hadn’t seen Chat Noir for a long time now, and she was beginning to suspect he was hiding something from her. But then Adrien whipped out his staff and told her to get ready, and Emma let the thought go as she turned her attention to the next exercise.

_“Tuck your chin in, roll diagonally across your back, use the momentum to stand up and run. Remember, if you’re ever caught in an attack as a civilian, you need to get away quickly and transform.”_

 

* * *

 

“Hey Tikki, do you know where Plagg is? I haven’t seen him in a while,” Emma asked one night, sitting at her desk scrolling through comments on the Ladyblog.

It was easy to forget that the black kwami was part of their mismatched little family. He had practically watched her grow up after all, having lived in the same house as her all her life. Of course he had kept himself hidden until the fateful day her father had revealed his alter ego, and after that he would often be seen hovering near Adrien, napping in his pocket, or burying himself in camembert (she’d always wondered why her father bought that stuff when he was always complaining about the smell).

Tikki looked hesitant. “He’s… been busy lately.”

_“Where else? Lazy glutton’s probably stuffing himself with cheese again. Don’t worry about him, let’s just get back to practice.”_

_“Oh you know what he’s like, always disappearing whenever I need him. Did I ever tell you about the time he got his head stuck in a bracelet?”_

Emma frowned. She could recognize a deflection when she heard one, not unlike the excuses her father had been coming up with when asked about his absent kwami. Why were they so reluctant to give her a straight answer? Was Plagg doing something dangerous and afraid of dragging her into it? What if he was tracking down Hawk Moth and got himself captured?

“You know what? I feel like stretching my legs,” the blonde suddenly said, standing up from her chair. “What say we go out for a spin?”

The red kwami nodded eagerly, swallowing her last mouthful of cookies before flying towards Emma’s earrings.

“Tikki, spots on!”

 

* * *

 

A full moon smiled down on Ladybug as she swung from rooftop to rooftop, making sure to stay under the cover of shadows to avoid attracting any curious onlookers. She was on a hunt, keeping an eye out for a certain black cat under the guise of practicing her jumps and landings, and she couldn’t afford to have any distractions.

About two hours into her search, she decided to take a break and catch her breath. Resting against a chimney, she found herself atop of one of the buildings surrounding the Eiffel Tower. It was her goal to scale the national monument once she had fully mastered her yoyo, and she took a moment to bask in the warm glow of the shimmering lights, admiring the view of the magnificent structure.

“Ladybug!”

Crap, she’d been spotted.

Emma’s first instinct was to flee, but the voice was too close. It sounded as though the speaker was right behind her, and there was a muffled _thump_ as someone landed on the roof a few feet away. She turned around with a grimace, bracing herself for one of her mother’s fans. Instead, she came face to face with a black cat –

_Plagg?_

– but not quite the one she was looking for.

Chat Noir stood before her, a distinctively feminine figure clad in a familiar black costume. She was half a head taller than Emma, with maroon highlights on her shaggy dark hair which had been cropped short just past her ears. Grinning widely, she held out her hand. “Wow, it’s really you! I can’t believe it – you’re really fast, you know? If you hadn’t stopped here I don’t think I would have caught up with you!”

Something shiny on her ring finger gleamed in the moonlight, and Emma felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Her stomach churned as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place: Plagg disappearing, her father no longer transforming, the missing ring on his finger –

How could she have been so _blind?_

Adrien was a professional model; he was used to fooling people with his smiles, putting up a façade even when he was in pain... He would assure her that nothing was wrong whenever she noticed the sad look he gave her as Ladybug, and she had been so _stupid_ to believe him. Just how long had he been suffering in silence, hurting so badly that he couldn’t see any other way out than to surrender his Miraculous?

It was her fault, it just _had_ to be. He always told her how much she looked like her mother, and even though she missed her, she never _knew_ her. But her father did; he loved Marinette with all his heart throughout the years he’d spent with her. Her death had hit him the hardest, and while he never blamed his daughter for her passing, the agony of seeing her follow in her mother’s footsteps must have been too much to bear.

“Ladybug?”

Emma snapped her head up, belatedly realizing she had been slowly backing away from her partner.

“Are you okay?” Chat dropped the offered hand, staring at her with a hint of disappointment. “Is it – Are you upset that I’m a girl?”

“What, no! Of course not!” she blurted out, surprising them both with the force behind her words. “I – I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

“Wait!” Chat protested, reaching towards her as she turned to leave. “I just met you! How will I –”

“We can talk another time. Right now, there’s something important I have to take care of.”

Without waiting for a response, Emma threw her yoyo and stepped off the edge of the roof, disappearing into the darkened streets of Paris.

 

* * *

 

Having someone barge into his room in the dead of night and fling themselves onto his body was an excellent way to wake Adrien up; that is, if they wanted to receive a roundhouse kick to the ribs in the process. Luckily, half-asleep as he was, Adrien was able to recognize the messy curls of his daughter as she buried her face in his chest, trembling ever so slightly.

“Emma?” Instantly awake, he rubbed her back in concern. “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

“Plagg’s gone, isn’t he?”

Adrien went still. He glanced up to see Tikki hovering at the door, an apologetic look on her face, and he nodded in understanding as she flew away to give them some privacy.

“I’m s-sorry!” Emma was sobbing, her tears soaking into his shirt. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t m-mean to make you give up your ring!”

“Oh Emma,” Adrien sighed, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s not your fault, you hear me? It’s mine; I’m not strong enough to fight with you –”

“But you love being Chat Noir! A-and I took that away from you!”

“I love you more,” he insisted, pulling away to look her in the eye. His thumbs came up to brush away the tears spilling over her cheeks. “You need a partner who can support you and keep you safe.”

It pained him to admit it, but it was true. As much as he wanted to personally ensure Emma’s safety, he couldn’t suppress the memories that flooded his mind every time they transformed together. Forcing it was only going to end badly, and it was in Emma’s best interests that Plagg found another wielder. All he could do from that point on was to prepare her as well as he could and trust his successor to protect her in his place.

Emma was babbling now. “No dad, listen. I promise, I’m going to train as hard as I can so you won’t have to worry about me.” She clutched at his arms desperately as she rambled on. “I promise I’ll come home every day, and – and I might have left the new Chat Noir hanging just now, but we’ll be the best team you’ve ever seen! I’ll make you proud –”

Adrien cut her off with a tight hug, crushing her against his chest. “You already have,” he whispered tearfully, his voice cracking slightly as he fought against the lump in his throat.

The waterworks started anew, but Emma couldn’t bring herself to care as she cried herself to sleep, cocooned safely in her father’s warm arms.

 

* * *

 

“So, what do you think of the new Chat Noir?”

Emma spat out her water, accepting the offered tissue to wipe her mouth as her best friend giggled at her. “W-what?”

“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that there’s a new black cat in town!” Madeleine waggled her eyebrows excitedly.

The two were sitting together on the grass in an empty corner of the park, leaning against Madeleine’s motorcycle as they waited for Adrien, Nino and Alya to arrive in the car with the picnic supplies. How the older girl convinced her parents to let her ride such a dangerous vehicle (Adrien’s words, not hers) was anyone’s guess, and it took Emma almost an hour to persuade her father to let her go ahead with her best friend.

“Ahaha, I haven’t really checked the Ladyblog lately…” Emma forced a smile as she lied through her teeth. She had actually met up with her partner several times now, getting to know her better and scheduling patrols around the city. This Chat lacked the flirtatious nature her father had exuded with the mask, but she more than made up for it with her enthusiasm and endless stash of puns (oh god the _puns_. Was it a pre-requisite for Chat Noirs or something? She was going to _throttle_ Plagg if she ever saw him again).

To her confusion, Madeleine laughed nervously. “Speaking of which, I think my mom’s thinking of reporting on them again. She’s been reorganizing the blog lately, adding new pages and – oh snap.”

There was the sound of something ripping, and Emma looked over to see that Madeleine had accidentally torn another hole in the inner fabric of her motorcycle gloves. They were pretty old and worn out, having been a Christmas gift from her father the year she had bought her bike. Madeleine loved them so much that she wore them everywhere, and Emma was secretly planning to buy her a new pair when her birthday rolled around.

“Stop pulling at it!” Emma gently swatted Madeleine’s hand away as her fingers tugged at the loose material. She had a nasty habit of playing with her gloves when she talked, which only made them wear out faster.

Before long, their parents arrived with the supplies and the picnic kicked off with a bang. Nino had brought his equipment and was setting up a mini DJ station at the side, a pop song already playing through the speakers. Emma and Alya had spread out the blankets and were mixing the drinks, adding little paper umbrellas to the plastic cups with a flourish. Madeleine helped Adrien to prepare the food, tossing salads and making sandwiches.

“Madeleine, help me shuck the corn, will you?” Adrien asked, handing her a paper bag.

“Sure thing, uncle Adrien!”

The blonde cringed slightly when she pulled her gloves off with her teeth and wiped her hands with a wet tissue. At least they were clean, more or less. Something shiny caught his eye as Madeleine’s right hand reached into the bag, and Adrien’s eyes widened at the sight of a _very_ familiar silver ring.

_Plagg, you little SHIT._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this, dear reader, is the end of Second Chances. I had a lot of fun planning and writing this with FM, and now it's over I just feel :((((((
> 
> Aye, the show must go on and enjoy!

Adrien was going to _kill_ that kwami.

"Uncle Adrien?"

Blinking, he looked up to Madeleine's concerned frown, where he realised that she was scrutinising him and he immediately let up his neutral look. "Are you okay?" She questioned, taking out the corn. "You look kinda spaced out for a while."

He shook his head slightly, forcing his hands to move as he set the sandwiches to the side and started to assemble the salad. "I'm fine, work has been a bit hectic than usually, since it's that time of the year where the seasons are coming out."

She nodded in understanding, not seeing past his white lie. "Must be tough, I heard the pressure could be used inside a pressure cooker," She joked, and he saw the glint of the ring from where the sun shone on it as she started to work, and he resisted the urge to fidget under the mockery of its glare. "And that you could actually turn crazy under the stress."

"Madeleine," Alya warned, giving her daughter a pointed look when Madeleine only shrugged innocently.

"What? It's true."

Adrien chuckled. "She's right, you know," He plucked a clean cloth and wiped his hands, his eyes flickering down to the ring before he shot her a smirk. "It's like a giant pressure cooker in there."

She wiped her own hands when she was done. "You don't suppose there are, ah, _people_ that you would recommend me to meet?" She grinned widely, wiggling her eyebrows. "Young people around my age, or a year older or so, a year younger...?"

There was a snort from Emma. "Dream on, Maddy."

"Oh, come on, Em," Madeleine pouted playfully. "You're suppose to help your super cute BFF meet some people at the fashion industry, where there are, you know, _models_ ," She hummed appreciatively. "Or designers, either way is fine, I don't mind because most of them are somewhat up to my taste."

" _Madeleine_."

" _Mother_."

Emma shrugged, the corner of her lips twitching into a smile. "Sorry, can't do much. But who knows, maybe when I'll start modelling like Dad or something, I'll show you some people."

As they continued bickering, Adrien saw something moving around Madeleine's jacket from where she had tossed it on the ground, and his breath hitched when he saw a pair of green eyes peeking from the edge of it, catching his gaze that Plagg immediately hid himself again from the hard look on his former charge's face with a muted squeak.

_Plagg, **why**_.

Madeleine probably heard it and pulled her jacket towards her, where she shot it a worried glance as she laughed with Emma a bit nervously than before.

Adrien decided to take his chance and was about to ask her about the ring, feign some interest, maybe prod a little here and there, when he heard a shriek.

* * *

Just when she was about to enjoy a nice picnic with her family.

Purple beams shot everywhere around them, hitting a couple a few feet away that they were immediately transformed into dogs, and they ran away yelping with tails between their legs as more light started to hit its target.

Emma shot up, grabbing Alya by the arm. "We have to go!"

Suddenly, Emma saw a beam coming towards them and pushed the older woman out of the way that they sprawled on the opposite sides of the target, smoke swirling up from the spot they sat a second ago.

Emma looked up, and felt her eyes widen at what she saw.

That was one big Great Dane.

"How can you not like dogs?!" The akuma infected person screeched from where she sat on the dog, a teenager most likely, as she shot more purple beams from what looked like a bazooka in her hands, her face twisted into an angry scowl. "They're cute and cuddly! So," She aimed the nozzle towards Emma with a smirk. "Let Lady make you love them."

Emma somersaulted out of the away as Lady's aim was a breaths away from turning her into a dog, crouching near Nino as she hauled him up from the ground. "Go! Run!"

Nodding, Nino went and pulled his wife with him, where Alya protested when she tried to capture a video of the massive beast with her phone.

Emma felt a hand clasped firmly on her shoulder, and turned around to see Adrien looking at her with worry in his eyes. "An akuma," They saw Madeleine ran after her parents, and Emma hoped they would be safe. "Be careful."

Emma shot him a tight smile, squeezing back his hand. "I will."

He gave a quick peck on her forehead before running after his friends, and Emma quickly ran behind a tree to hide, where Tikki shot out of her pocket with a grin on her face.

Emma answered one with her own.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Bursting out of her hiding place, Ladybug leaped towards the giant dog and its master, aiming a hit towards the its face with her yo-yo to catch their attention.

The dog let out a growl as she landed on one of the lamp posts, standing on it with a hand on her hip. "You know, some people aren't so keen on dogs like you are."

Lady snorted, aiming her bazooka towards the heroine. "What, you like those satanic feline troublemakers?"

"Hey now, that's no way to talk about a cat!"

Ladybug smirked when she saw Chat Noir landing on the back of the Dane, where she was crouched on it with her tail swaying lazily behind her, a full blown grin stretched across her face. "Cats are absolutely gorgeous in their own way. I should know," Chat winked, standing to her full height as she activated her baton to a wanted length. "I happen to be one."

Lady shot more of the purple beams towards Chat, but the heroine jumped out of the way and landed on the floor. "Come back here, you worthless devil!"

"Woah, someone's rather bitchy today!" Chat cackled as she weaved between the Dane's massive paws, trying to prevent herself from being trampled when the giant dog tried to catch the heroine with its teeth.

Ladybug shot her yo-yo and wrapped it around the bazooka, tugging it with all her might that it was jerked out of Lady's hands and fell to the ground. "Chat, the bazooka!"

Chat nodded and quickly made a dash towards it, but before she could reach it, the Dane had already took it in his mouth and straighten to his full height, where Lady patted his head as she took it delicately from him. "Good boy," She purred as she aimed it towards Ladybug again. "I'm going to take you down, you _pest_!" The spotted hero jumped out of the way to avoid the beam and landed beside her partner.

"Hello Ladybug, such a purr-leasure to meet you again," Chat grinned, to which Ladybug answered with one of her own.

"Likewise, Chat," Then, her eyes dragged across the body of the dog to find a weak spot. "First akuma we're fighting here," Ladybug shot her a smirk. "Excited?"

"Eh, the mutt's a bit of a downer really, since I can smell the slobber on that thing. _So_ gross."

"I _heard_ that!"

They pranced away to avoid being hit, and Ladybug quickly called for her lucky charm, where a basketball landed in her hands.

"Huh, well, this is going to be interesting," She muttered before looking up to the giant dog above her, where she put two fingers into her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. "Hey boy! Look at what I've got!"

The Dane looked down at her curiously, before the earth started to shake as he dropped down into a crouch and waggle his tail when Ladybug started to dribble the ball on the ground, a grin stretched across her face when she saw the excited glint in the dog's eyes. "You want it, don't you? You want the ball?"

It panted excitedly, ignoring its masters outrage calls from where she kept hitting the dog on the back. "Don't listen to her, you stupid mutt! I'm your master! You do as I say!"

Chat Noir then used her baton to a length until she easily stepped onto the giant dog, one hand activated with her cataclysm powers that was used to scratch the surface of the bazooka, where it immediately rusted into an ugly colour of brown and black. "Whoops," Chat clicked her tongue as she jumped down, leaving Lady to gape after her. "I scratched it."

A purple butterfly flew up from the weapon, and Ladybug immediately captured it in her compact, cleansing everything around her as the massive dog shrunk into a normal sized Dane while Lady had turned back into a normal girl, blinking confusedly around her from where she was kneeling on the ground.

Chat trotted up towards Ladybug and gave her a high five, both had grins stretched across their faces. "We did it!" Chat cheered.

Before she could reply, a swarm of people came running towards them, along with news reporters and journalist alike as they screamed for the heroes attention, mikes and cameras were shoved into their faces as questions upon questions were asked from every direction of the circle that Ladybug didn't realise they had made, and she almost jumped when one microphone suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Ladybug, it's been years since you and Chat Noir had fought together," A middle aged woman quickly said as she squeezed herself between two men to make her way towards the paralysed hero. "Tell me, where have you been all these years? What have you been doing? And is it true that you're new people underneath that mask compared to the old Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

Ladybug heard a beep of her miraculous, and she laughed nervously. "Well, I know there are a lot of questions to be answered but I have to get going."

"Meow too," Chat chuckled as tighten her grip on her baton, and Ladybug knew that Chat was as uneasy as she was as their miraculous gave another warning. "Sorry folks, it looks like we better split."

Ladybug shot her yo-yo upwards as Chat extended her baton, where they flew into the air that crowd gasped as they tried to take pictures of them leaving, the heroines ran towards one of the buildings and made their way up, where they disappeared at the other end of the chimney and away from prying eyes. 

"Whew, that was close," Chat commented as they landed on the roof. She turned towards her partner. "They're particularly _hounding_ on us."

Snorting, Ladybug punched her playfully on the arm. "Yeah yeah, Chat, the party's over, dog puns are not necessary anymore."

"True, I prefer my cat puns more. They're purr-fection."

Their miraculous rang at the same time, and Ladybug watched the way one paw print vanished from her ring. "Well, I guess that's that," Ladybug made her way towards the edge of building and did a two finger salute. "I'll see you around, Chat."

Chat nodded. "Catch you later, Lady-"

"Wait!"

There was a burst of a door being opened that cut her off, and Ladybug was surprised to see Adrien, Alya, and Nino at the top of the stairs, and Alya had her phone ready as she started to record the scene before her. "Ladybug, Chat Noir, I need to ask some questions."

Ladybug shot her father a worried look, and Adrien merely pursed his lips into a thin line. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we have to get going."

"Just for a while!" Alya assured them over the sound of their miraculous beeping again in warning. "It won't take long."

"Ma'am," Chat Noir told her calmly, despite the panic that flashed in her eyes when the camera was pointed at her. "We _really_ have to go."

Nino rested a hand on Alya's shoulder, giving the heroines a worried look. "Come on, Alya, we have to go too."

But she was adamant, shaking her head slightly. "No, no, it's been years, Nino, and I _need_ -"

Too late, Chat let out a panicked squeak as the last warning rang through the space between them, and she quickly ran towards the edge of the building to flee as her transformation started to unveil herself.

"Chat, stop!" Ladybug yelled, but prevented herself from running towards her partner when a black kwami zoomed out of the ring like a deflated balloon, and Chat screeched to a halt just when she was about to jump, realising she wasn't in suit anymore.

Ladybug gasped, taking a step back when she saw the familiar highlights of her best friend's hair from where she stood, and without realising it, her own transformation was up as Tikki floated out of her earrings, the kwami landing on her shoulder tiredly.

"Maddy?"

Chat's -or rather, _Madeleine's_ \- shoulders tensed up at her name, where Plagg was already floating in front of his charge demanding for food.

"Emma?"

Emma froze, and slowly turned towards Alya and Nino where they stared at her in shock, seemingly rooted to the spot from where they gaped openly at her, the phone forgotten as Alya dropped her arms to the side. Madeleine swivelled around at her name, where her own surprise was visible in her expression as she took in her partner before her.

Scratching the back of her head, Emma winced. "Um, hi?"

"Emma?" Nino voiced out in wonder. "You're Ladybug?"

"And you're Chat Noir?" Alya spluttered as she turned towards her daughter, and Madeleine avoided her eyes as she took out a piece of cheese from her jeans. Plagg let out a small cheer as he took it from her, taking a large bite at once.

"They are."

Adrien let out a small smile as he met Emma's eyes across the clearing, before turning towards his friends' flabbergasted look. "I should know," He chuckled. "I used to wear the ring Madeleine was wearing."

There was a moment of silence that rang around them, that the sound of traffic couldn't even interrupt the tension that wafted in the air and wrapped heavily around their shoulders. Emma was worried something was going to happen by the way her skin was prickling uneasily, her eyes darting around the adults' faces before her eyes met Madeleine's, still wide from disbelief.

And then, Nino punched Adrien in the face.

Emma gasped, running towards her father as he bent down to cradle his nose, where Nino was glaring down at him with his nostrils flared in rage.

"Man, you better explain to me why my daughter's wearing your ring or so help me I _will_ give you another punch to that pretty face of yours that you'll need plastic surgery to shift it back." Nino threatened as Emma helped Adrien straighten up, his fist raised for emphasis.

Adrien laughed breathlessly, tilting his head up to prevent the blood from flowing out as he pressed his nose with his fingers. "It's been a long time since I've been socked like that, the last time was when I was fighting Hawkmoth."

"Adrien," Alya's voice was small as she stared at him, suddenly looking tired with her arms wrapped around herself. "What are you talking about?"

He gave her a sad smile, dropping his hand to his side.

"That I used to be Chat Noir, while Marinette," His smile wavered and he looked away.

"She was Ladybug."

* * *

_"Do you think they'll understand if we tell them?"_

_Adrien looked down to Marinette from where she rested her cheek on his chest, her hair fanned out behind her as she stared at their twined fingers on the bed, where she kept rubbing her thumb across his. He gave her fingers a squeeze._

_"I'm sure they would," He murmured, pressing a kiss to her hairline._

_She frowned worriedly, her bottom lip gnawed at as she looked up to meet his gaze, where her brilliant blue eyes made his breath catch everytime, and he knew he wouldn't be tired of them at all for the rest of his life. "Are you sure?"_

_Smiling, he then brushed his lips against her forehead. "Of course, they're our close friends, I'm sure they'd understand that sometimes we wear spandex to save the world."_

_"Exactly, they're our best friends," She rolled over so that she could look at him the eye, where she rested her chin on his chest with her hands cushioned between them. "I'm afraid they'll feel betrayed because we didn't tell them who we are, and that they'll hate us because of it," She bit her lip again. "And I don't think I can handle that if they do."_

_He stared at her, running a hand across her shoulders. He had thought of that of course, telling his friends of who they were, but both of them had agreed to themselves since they were first partners to never include anyone that had to do with their personal lives into the harsh life of a hero, for fearing that they would get hurt and used as baits._

_But sometimes, knowing that other people knew about their heavy duties lighten the weight a bit._

_"They'll understand," He reassured her, tracing the apple of her cheek with the back of his hand that she turned her head slightly to brush her lips against it, a hum whispered between them._

_"I know they will."_

* * *

Adrien watched his friends closely from where they were huddled on his couch, not meeting his eye as the last of his words echoed through the house, with Madeleine sitting beside them as Emma was beside him. Now, he only waited for their reaction to this new information he had exposed to them for the past hour, their patience a remarkable thing to him at the moment as they only listened to everything he said, not once did they interrupt him to ask questions or anything of that sorts. 

"You mean to say that," Alya managed to croak as she dragged her eyes up from her lap with pain in visible in them. "Marinette, my best friend for as long as I can remember and I particularly had been in her presence for most of her life, was  _Ladybug_ all those years ago? And I didn't even notice it?" She shook her head in disbelief. "And she didn't even tell me?"

Adrien sighed softly. "She didn't want you to get hurt."

"And all those times at school, when she disappeared everytime there was an attack, and those _ridiculous_ excuses and, oh my god _you_ too," She buried her face into her hands. "How can I be so _stupid_."

"Alya, it's not your fault. The miraculous prevents people from recognising us, even our own partners," He glanced at Madeleine, where the girl met his eyes evenly. "Believe me, I didn't know Mari was Ladybug until we were about to graduate from lycée, and even then, it was an accident. She didn't want _me_ to know either."

"But you wanted to," Nino rubbed his wife's back soothingly. "You wanted her to know who you were, and you wanted to know who she was."

Adrien nodded slowly, trying not to grimace when he remembered the pain and desperation he felt that burned to his core during that time, how he almost pleaded for her to let him show her how he looked like under the mask. But alas, he loved her too much to disobey such a request. "Yes."

"But why did you choose Madeleine?" Alya demanded as she looked up again, where her eyes started to turn red from the beginnings of crying. "Why didn't you choose someone else instead? So that I know I wouldn't lose another important person in my life for a damn  _butterfly_."

"I didn't," Adrien replied quietly. "It's not my place to choose. Plagg did, he thinks she's worthy of being Chat Noir, like Tikki thinks Emma is worthy of being Ladybug," He chuckled bitterly, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't that happy too. In fact, I would still have been Chat Noir if it didn't hurt so much."

He felt Emma stiffen beside him, and he took her hand and gave her a squeeze of reassurance.

Then, Plagg and Tikki made themselves seen from where they were talking to within each other from another room, and they settled themselves on their charge's respectful shoulders. Tikki faced Alya with a smile. "Marinette loved you very much, she couldn't bare to see you hurt and tried to keep you as safely as she could, even if you run into the fray rather than away from it."

Alya stared at her for a while, a hand covering her mouth to prevent herself from crying, before a silent sob wracked her body, causing her to bury her face again. "Stupid Mari," She hiccuped through her fingers. "You're so selfless when it comes to others, you complete klutz."

Adrien realised that Nino had some sort of half smile on his face, as if he still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Who knew that you would run in spandex and sprout cat puns? Because honestly man, they suck ."

The blond laughed. "Don't insult my creativeness, I think they're cool."

"Yeah dad," Madeleine piped in as she gave them a hesitant smile. "While people cringe, I feel pawerful."

A wicked grin stretched across Adrien's face. "That's catcellent."

Emma groaned. "Stop it you two."

"I second that." Nino snorted.

"All of you are idiots," Alya muttered as she wiped her eyes.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me," Plagg sniffed as he helped himself to some Camembert he brought with him, taking a bite.

"We have to go," Emma stood up, shooting Madeleine a look. "A patrol."

The other girl nodded as she too stood up. "Right," She gave the adults a two finger salute with a grin stretched across her face. "We'll be back in a sec."

They shot each other a smirk that made Alya and Nino stare at them curiously and expectantly, while Adrien merely chuckled under his breath. 

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Claws out!"

* * *

Alya ran towards the large windows as the superheroes bounded pass them, pressing her hands onto the glass surface to stare at the two figures jumping from one roof to another, slowly disappearing into the night as they became nothing but specks. 

Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead onto the cool surface as she slowly breathed in to get her bearings into place, to calm her hectic heart that pounded against her rib cage as thoughts raced inside her mind, and then she breathed out, feeling the invisible weight dissipated from her shoulders, leaving her in control of herself more than she was a few minutes ago. 

She felt the two men stood beside her and slowly fluttered her eyes open, a small smile appearing on her lips. "She'll be proud, you know?"

The breath Adrien took was sharp. "I know."

"Good," She whispered, tracing the window with a finger.

"Because I know I am."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE: This time, we decided to write the chapter together. Sweet, no? XD 
> 
> Kudos to those who could guess who writes what (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

(Four years later)

“Who’s the weakling now, huh? I am Brute Force, and I will crush you all!”

A mighty clap sent shockwaves rippling through the air, tearing into buildings and shattering the windows. Some began to crumble to the ground, and even the earth trembled slightly as people on the streets screamed and ran for cover amidst the hail of glass shards and debris raining down on them.

The supervillain drew his hands back for another attack, but there was a flash of red and suddenly he found his arms pinned to the sides of his body, wrapped tightly in thin wire.

_“We need to move NOW! There’s not much time left, the building’s going to collapse any second!”_

“Chat, grab his belt!” Ladybug yelled, digging her heels in as she struggled to keep their target restrained. If one clap could cause so much destruction to the city, he had to be stopped before he did any more damage. Chat Noir wasted no time in lunging for the thick strap around the weightlifter’s waist, the eerie purple glow surrounding it a telltale sign of the akuma’s presence.

“Foolish Ladybug! No one is strong enough to defeat me!” With a sharp heave, Brute Force used his body weight to yank her off her feet, swinging her around and sending her on a collision course with her partner, knocking them both down. With a flex of his arms, he easily freed himself from his bindings.

_“Help me, I’m stuck!”_

_“Nino, I’ll lift the beam, you pull her out! On the count of three: one, two, three!”_

The akumatized weightlifter was practically a hulk. His torso was disproportionately oversized compared to the rest of his body, and pulsing veins could be seen running down his enlarged arms. A familiar purple outline appeared in front of his face for a brief moment and he smirked, letting out a loud war cry before charging towards the two superheroines like a bull.

Quickly untangling themselves from each other, they leapt apart just in time to avoid getting plowed through. They fought back valiantly, but none of their usual attacks were working; Ladybug’s yoyo couldn’t hold him and Chat’s baton didn’t even leave a scratch. It was all they could do to avoid his fists as he swung his arms wildly. Even with their suits’ protection, one hit was sure to knock them out of the game.

_“Keep going, don’t look back! I’ll be right behind you, just get her to safety!”_

_“Hold on tight Alya, we’re almost there!”_

“Any bright ideas, LB? This guy isn’t kitten around!” Chat yelped, narrowly dodging a mean right hook to her face.

“Slow him down and buy me some time!”

“You got it!”

Cartwheeling away to put some distance between them, Chat Noir called upon her signature move and slammed her right palm on the ground. Wide cracks began to appear on the road, radiating towards Brute Force. The earth beneath his feet abruptly gave way and swallowed him up to his hips, leaving him temporarily incapacitated. It would have been a golden opportunity to snatch his belt then, but his arms were still free to attack anyone who came close.

_“Watch out!”_

_“ADRIEN, NO!”_

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug threw her yoyo into the air, making a face when a large reel of cable wire fell into her hands. “What the heck am I supposed to do with this?”

“We need to find a way to use his strength against him somehow,” Chat said, watching Brute Force warily as he slowly pulled himself out.

Scanning her surroundings, Ladybug’s eyes landed on the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It took a moment for an idea to form, and then she began to grin.

Chat followed her gaze, frowning. “You’re not planning to cut the Eiffel Tower in half, are you?” she asked suspiciously. “As clawsome as that sounds, once is quite enough.”

“Chill out, I know what I’m doing! Now, help me get his attention.”

_“Shit, he’s not waking up!”_

Ladybug and Chat Noir led Brute Force on a merry chase, luring him towards the base of the national monument. As much as they tried to distract the akumatized weightlifter in the process, they were unable to stop him from unleashing a few more claps, resulting in a trail of destruction along the way.

“Whatever you’re planning, you better hurry! He’s almost on our tail!”

“Not yet! Keep him busy for a while longer!”

_“Oh god, there’s so much blood… I’ll call an ambulance!”_

Another shockwave sent Chat Noir flying backwards, but she was able to roll back to her feet. Spinning her staff, she growled and prepared to engage the supervillain again, but a hand on her shoulder held her back.

“Hey, Brute Force!” Ladybug yelled at him, winking at her partner. “How about a challenge?”

That got his attention.

“Ha! A challenge? Don’t make me laugh!” he sneered at them. “No one can beat me!”

“We’ll see about that.” Ladybug smirked confidently before tossing him one end of the cable wire, which had been removed from the reel and uncoiled. “Tug-of-war, you against me and Chat. Winner gets to keep our Miraculous.”

“You’re on!” Brute Force roared, picking up his half of the makeshift rope and winding it around his arms for better leverage.

On the other side, Ladybug and Chat Noir simply held on to their end. “Ready, set, go!”

_“Come on bro, don’t do this to us! Just hang on, Emma’s going to use the cure soon!”_

The moment Brute Force pulled with all his might, the two leapt away, revealing the other end of the cable wire which had been secured around one of the Eiffel Tower’s legs. There was a loud groan, sounds of metal creaking, and then the monument began to topple.

For all his strength and power, even Brute Force seemed to have a hard time holding up thousands of tons of metal. His arms strained with the effort as he tried to stop himself from getting flattened like a pancake, and it was the perfect chance for Chat Noir to snag his belt while he was occupied.

_“Nononono Adrien BREATHE GODDAMMIT!”_

“Not bad,” she commented as she watched the akuma being purified. “You had me worried for a second there.”

“Thanks! At least I kept the Eiffel Tower in one piece.” Ladybug grinned as she threw the reel into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

A cloud of red and black descended upon the city, streaking through the streets and converging upon the monument as it reversed all the damage done by Brute Force. The Eiffel Tower was back on its feet, the weightlifter freed from Hawk Moth’s control, and everything was okay again.

“Pound it!” They cheered, fist bumping each other in celebration of yet another victory.

Then Ladybug’s compact began to ring.

“Emma!” Nino’s frantic voice came through when she answered the call. “You need to get to the hospital immediately! Your father’s in the ICU.” 

* * *

Adrien felt something waking him up.

A hand maybe, running them softly through his hair as nails scrapped through his skull lightly, something soft was under his cheek from where he laid onto it. There was something distinctively familiar about his current situation as the surroundings around him began to sharpen, the towel under him grazed his arm as he began to shift, and finally, he fluttered his eyes open to have a look at where he was.

Surprisingly, he found himself at the Agreste garden, where all kinds of flowers stood around him as he trailed his eyes from one end of the space to the other end, varying from the vibrant red roses to the soft hue of purple lavenders that dotted against the wall of the garden, and he remembered it was one of the sacred places that he and his mother would go back when he was only a boy, and then, it became his wife's favourite place.

"Looks like the cat finally woke up from his nap."

Startled, he snapped his head towards the voice, his heart beating frantically against his chest like a caged bird when his eyes landed on bright blue ones, where they laughed at his expression he donned at the moment, a frozen combination of disbelief and yearning. She giggled, bopping his nose with a finger like she used to long ago. "Hello, kitty."

He quickly scrambled up, sitting on his knees as he grabbed her hands with his and brought them to his chest.

"Marinette," he breathed, letting his eyes rake across her face as he drank in the sight hungrily. After years of losing her, here she was in front of him again, and like hell was he going to forget about this moment. " _Marinette_."

Smiling softly, she cupped a hand on his cheek that he immediately melted at the touch, turning his head to the side to press a kiss onto her palm as he covered her small hands with his own. "I missed you," She whispered.

He pulled her towards his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as he buried his head into her neck, taking a shaky breath. "Oh god, Mari," He whispered hoarsely, blinking away the tears as he felt the way she hugged him just as tightly. "I can't believe you're here, after all these years, you're here. And I can't," He choked, stopping the next of his words. "I don't want you to leave me again."

She leaned back slightly, softly pressing her lips onto his forehead, his mind reeling with thoughts of _oh god she's here she's real I can feel her_. "I'm here," She rested her forehead on his, the same smile lingered. "I'm here."

He leaned forward and gingerly kissed her, where his hands were now cupping her cheeks as he looked into her eyes, as bright as he remembered. "I love you," he declared quietly. "I love you, and I will never forget about you."

She grinned, capturing his lips with hers as she winded her arms around his neck, and he responded just as eagerly as he tasted her lips yet again. "I'm so proud of you," She mumbled past the kiss, her hands playing with the hair on his nape. "You and Emma."

Breaking the kiss, he took a deep breath, nuzzling into her shoulder. "She's so grown now," He whispered, feeling the way her hands rubbed his back soothingly. "And she's just like you, like _us_ , fighting akuma," He let out a broken chuckle. "And I couldn't be her partner."

Marinette hummed. "Silly cat, maybe you had your share of power when you were with me already," She planted a kiss on the side of his head. "Maybe it's time you move on."

As if electrified, he froze, before slowly leaning back to look at his wife in the eye, where she avoided his gaze and instead stared at their wringed fingers. "Marinette?" He enquired quietly. "What are you saying?"

She gave him a sad smile. "I know you've been mourning, Adrien, mourning for me. But it's been years, I can't see you hurt and alone when I know you've always wanted more children, and I can't give you that anymore," She cupped his face. "You need someone to love you again, like I did when I was still alive."

He shook his head. "I can't do that, Mari," He croaked. "I can't just forget you like that, you've been a part of me for years, and no one will be the same like you," He took her hands in his again. "I have been in love with you for years, and now, we have a daughter to prove how much I appreciate all those years with you, where she's literally a carbon copy of you," He gave a wry smile. "I'm sorry, but can't do that, I _can't_ move on."

She blinked away her tears, before launching herself to him as she gripped onto his chest. "Stupid cat," She murmured. "Making me cry again."

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "Emma loves you."

There was a silent jerk of her shoulders as she cried, clutching onto his shirt more. "I wish I could hold her," She whispered. "I wish I could just see her face to face and just tell her how proud I am to have her as a daughter, how sorry I am to leave the both of you alone," She looked up to him. "Leaving you alone to take care of her without help."

He grinned crookedly. "There was one point of time when potty training was my least favourite thing to do, Emma had constipation when she was two and cried almost everyday about it."

Marinette let out a burst of giggles. "Poor girl, if I was there I'd probably film you as you clean her up."

He scowled playfully. "How cruel, My Lady," Then, he sobered up quickly. "I want to stay with you."

She searched his face, before a soft sigh escaped from her lips. "You can't, I won't allow it," When he was about to protest, she kissed his lips. "You _can't_ , Adrien."

"Why?" He croaked out, holding her to his chest. "Why can't I be with you?"

She planted another kiss on his cheek, before staring into his eyes that he saw the determination he had always adored in those blue orbs. "Emma needs you more."

He didn't dare close own his eyes as he continued to stare at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you."

She kissed his nose. "I love you too."

"Wait for me." He breathed, clutching onto her waist as he desperately tried to hold onto this memory of them together, to engrave it into his mind.

She smiled.

"I'll see you soon."

With that, he felt his eyelids flutter open.

The first thing he saw was blue eyes, his heart lifted at the sight when he thought that she actually came back. But then, blond hair obscured his vision as a pair of thin arms wrapped around his shoulders firmly, avoiding his injuries when a sob filled his ears as the body shook with silent tears.

"You're okay," Emma whispered. "Thank _god_ you're okay," She leaned back, pressing her lips onto his forehead that he closed his eyes, relishing at how achingly similar it was to Marinette's kiss. "I can't lose you too, Dad, I don't know what I'll do with myself if you're gone too."

"Look at the bright side," He managed to whisper as he summoned a mischievous smirk. "You'll be like Spiderman, the bug that saved the world."

Emma looked as if she wanted to hit him, but instead hugged him again tightly. "Don't joke about your death like that," She grumbled as he chuckled. "It's _not_ funny."

When she backed off, a small blur of black latched onto his face, and Adrien was surprised to hear a rumble of purrs that started to vibrate from the small body. "Don't _ever_ do that again, kid," Plagg huffed as he let go, a scowl on his lips. "You're not the cat anymore, stop being so heroic if you want to commit suicide."

Adrien snorted, before a fit of coughs racked through his body that he felt Emma rubbed his back soothingly. "Glad to know you care about me, Plagg."

The kwami narrowed his eyes. "Don't push your luck."

"Adrien!"

There was a gentle clasp of a hand on his shoulder, and Nino gave him a grin. "I thought I lost you there, man."

" _Never_ do that again," Alya huffed as she stood beside her husband, crossing her arms to look peeved off but Adrien saw how red her eyes were, bags hanging under them that they were pure signs at how distressed she actually was. "I'll never forgive myself if you _died_ , Adrien, good god you almost gave me a _heart attack._ "

Squashing down the grin that threatened to spread across his face, he opened his arms towards her. "Come here."

She held onto her hard demeanour with her lips pursed, before a sigh broke out of her lips while her shoulders sagged, walking forward as she wrapped her friend in her arms while she gave him a light squeeze. "Idiot."

He chuckled, patting her back in reassurance. "I know."

Then, as he sank on the bed, hearing the way his friends and family talked and laughed within themselves, he stole a glance towards the window, where the sun was shining brightly outside that he saw how blue the sky was. Suddenly, at the corner of the window, was an all too familiar bug sticking on the glass, it's red and black wings spread behind it as it was ready to take off. He smiled softly at it, almost imagining Marinette there with him.

"Thank you, My Lady."

With that, the ladybug flew away, and Adrien didn't take his eyes of it until it became nothing but a speck, before it vanished entirely into the sky.

He felt a hand over his and looked up to where Emma was smiling down at him tearfully, her unruly hair tied into a crude version of her alter ego's hair style. "She's probably waiting for you," Emma whispered, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she curled towards him, just like when she was younger as he read story books for her. "I miss her."

He kissed the top of her head, noticing how quiet it became around the room. "She loves you," He assured her quietly. "And she'll always be proud of what you are."

She nodded jerkingly, a hiccup passed her body that made him kiss her hair again.

"Never forget that."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think :)


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